Jump to content

Florida Has a “Best of the World” Tourist Destination…and It’s Not What You Think


Recommended Posts

What are some of your bucket list places to go in 2025? If you are anything like us, Disney World is probably somewhere on that list. However, there are some amazing places to visit out there and one Florida destination just made National Geographic’s “Best of the World 2025” list. 

2024-wdw-atmo-mk-cinderella-castle-crowd

Magic Kingdom

When many people think of Florida as a vacation destination, the theme parks may be one of the first things to pop in their head, but Florida has so much more to offer, and you may want to add a stop on your next Disney World vacation. 

Click here to subscribe

National Geographic recently released a list of the 25 best places in the world to travel in 2025, and there is a Florida destination on the list! Believe it or not, none of the Orlando theme parks are the Florida destination that made it into National Geographic’s “Best of the World 2025.”

2023-universal-orlando-resort-atmo-harry

Universal’s Islands of Adventure

Other locations on the list include Bangkok, Kanazawa, Los Angeles, Suru Valley, Abu Dhabi, and Brasov, but there is also a destination in Florida that you may want to check out. The Ocala National Forest made the list as a place to go to “escape to one of Florida’s last wild places.”

2024-ocala-national-forest-national-geog

©National Geographic | Photo by Nick Conzone

Ocala National Forest is located north of Orlando and only a bit over 2 hours away from Disney World. According to National Geographic, the forest is the southernmost national forest in the continental United States, and you can spot manatees, black bears, and rare plants amidst the forest’s 387,000 acres. 

2024-ocala-national-forest-forest-servic

©Forest Service

The national forest is home to four different springs and more than 600 lakes, rivers, and waterways. At the Ocala National Forest, you can swim, fish, snorkel, canoe, hike, bike, and admire the beauty of nature. You can even take more time to explore the area and camp in the campground or stay in a rental cabin. 

2024-ocala-national-forest-forest-servic

©Forest Service

So, next time you are headed to Florida, you can check off a must-see destination and then celebrate by making a trip to Disney World. That sounds like a win-win to us! Make sure to stay tuned to DFB for all your Disney World news!

Check out our ultimate guide to planning a Disney World vacation!

Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!

WE KNOW DISNEY.
YOU CAN, TOO.


DFBGuide-ShortCode-Image-1.png

Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation.

Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever!

Have you been to the Ocala National Forest or would you like to go? Let us know in the comments!

The post Florida Has a "Best of the World" Tourist Destination...and It's Not What You Think first appeared on the disney food blog.

View the full article

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...